少年富翁是这样炼成的
How to Be a Teenage Millionaire
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? 想当百万富翁的站出来！
If you dream of making your first million, you’re not alone.
Today’s teenagers know that three years at university these days means many more years of postgraduate indebtedness.[1]
They’re also becoming aware of messages from the government and mainstream media telling them that the state[2] isn’t going to look after them when they’re older. Forget the state pension[3]—you’ve got to look after yourself.
And today the ‘easy’ prospect of making your first million is all around us—from the national lottery to programmes such as ‘Who wants to be a millionaire?’ and investment companies telling us they can make us rich.[4]
So if you haven’t yet been spotted on the football pitch, if no one’s woken up to the fact that you’re better than Britney, or if you weren’t born into the Hilton or Onassis dynasties, here are five steps to get you on the first rung of the ladder to a fortune.[5]
Five Tips for Tomorrow’s Millionaire 给未来百万富翁的五条建议
1. Use what little[6] money you do have to make more 钱生钱
Money breeds money (or so they say). And though it’s easier to turn one million into two or more, you can go a long way with what little cash you have and the desire to succeed.
You’re never too young to keep an eye on the stock market.[7] Although you can’t buy and sell shares[8] until you’re 18, you can still learn a lot by keeping an eye on what’s going on in the markets until then. Markets are cyclical, so if you keep an eye on what’s gone before and learn to spot patterns and trends, you’ll be well placed to make a killing[9] once you start trading for real.
There’s plenty of information and handy[10] tools online to enable you to learn everything you need to know about investing.
2. Save, save, save 存钱、存钱、再存钱
Although interest rates are rising they’re not likely to climb high enough for you to earn a serious living simply by having a few grand in the bank.[11] However, every penny counts and getting into the savings habit is crucial for your future wealth.[12]
It’s back to that money breeds money thing again. With cash in the bank (itself growing at a nice rate) when you do spot an opportunity you’ll be ready to pounce—whether it’s a surefire winner on the stock market, a hot property or a new business venture.[13]
But even making a small amount of money involves some hard graft[14], so start out by researching the best savings rates at the bank. Keep an eye on movements and be ready to move your money to a new account when you spot a better rate.
3. Follow your dreams 追随梦想
It doesn’t matter where you’ve come from, or how much cash you’ve started out with, if you have a seriously good idea pursue it.
Remember Richard Branson’s climb to success?
He started out at 16 with a little music magazines and by the age of 20 Virgin was born—albeit on a slightly smaller scale than we know it today.[15] The message is, if you’ve got a good idea, go with it.
4. Don’t knock simplicity 别不把简单当回事
Whether it’s a great idea that seems so blindingly obvious you wonder why no one’s done it already, or as simple as plonking your entire savings into one great investment vehicle after another, you shouldn’t be deterred by simplicity.[16] After all, how many times have you said, ‘Of course, it’s so obvious. Why didn’t I think of that?’
Look at the concept behind Friends Reunited[17]. It couldn’t be more blindingly obvious. Or simple. Yet it’s made its founders, Steve and Julie Pankhurst, millionaires. And it all came about because Julie wondered what her old school mates were up to[18].
5. Safeguard your ideas 保护你的好点子
Ever had an idea and then been amazed to see it in action[19], or on the shelves, or on TV the next day? Ideas can make serious money, so they need to be protected so someone else doesn’t get to cash in on your brainwave.[20]
Some ideas can be patented[21]. It’s a simple enough process and needn’t be too costly to do. Some of course can’t.
So, whatever you do, don’t be deterred from starting to make your first million. But do get a move on. The Rich List of 2020 is only 14 years away.
[1]. postgraduate: 毕业后的；indebtness: 负债。
[2]. the state: 这里指的是英国，本文主要就英国的情况作出分析。
[3]. state pension: 政府养老金。
[4]. 如今，“轻而易举”就能让你挣到自己第一个一百万的机会比比皆是——从国家彩票到“谁想成为百万富翁？”之类的电视节目，再到许许多多号称能让我们富起来的投资公司。national lottery: 英国国家彩票，由英国议会批准发行，目的在于为艺术、体育、国家遗产、健康、教育、环境等公益事业筹集资金；‘Who wants to be a millionaire?’: 英国ITV广播公司著名的电视智力博彩问答节目。
[5]. football pitch: 足球场；Britney: 布兰妮，美国流行歌手，18岁即成名；Hilton dynasty: 指美国的希尔顿家族，该家族拥有的希尔顿国际酒店集团是世界酒店业巨头；Onassis dynasty: 奥纳西斯家族，该家族富甲天下，其创办的企业是海运、石油领域的世界级巨头；rung: 〈喻〉梯级。
[6]. what little: 很少一点。
[7]. keep an eye on: 密切关注；stock market: 股票市场。
[8]. share: [-s]股票。
[9]. make a killing: 突然大获成功。
[10]. handy: 方便的。
[11]. interest rate: 利率；grand: 〈英俚〉一千英镑（单复数同形）。
[12]. penny: 便士；count: 有价值；crucial: 至关重要的。
[13]. pounce: 一把抓住并利用；surefire: 〈美口〉一定能成功的；winner: 〈口〉定能成功的事物；property: 房产；venture: 风险投资。
[14]. graft: 〈非正式〉劳累的工作。
[15] Virgin: 维京集团，业务涉及唱片（Virgin Records）、移动网络（Virgin Mobile）、太空航运（Virgin Galactic）等多个领域；albeit: 尽管，即使。
[16]. 不论这个好主意看起来是多么容易想到，以至于你都犯嘀咕为什么到现在还没人做这事，即使这个主意简单到只需你把所有积蓄砸进一个又一个极佳的投资方式中，你都不要被它的简单所吓倒。blindingly: 缺乏眼光地；plonk: 重重地放下；investment vehicle: 投资方式；deter: 吓住。
[17]. Friends Reunited: “故友重逢”网站，由英国的史蒂夫和朱莉夫妇俩于2000年创办，即网上校友录。该网站于2005年12月被英国ITV广播公司以1.75亿英镑收购。
[18]. up to: 忙于……的。
[19]. in action: 在运转。
[20]. serious: 〈非正式〉大量的；cash in: （靠不正当手段）赚钱；brainwave: 灵感，灵机一动。
[21]. patent: 取得……的专利权。
URL: http://cn.stevenlichen.com/archives/23
